[*BCM*] Cambridge po-po sighting

[turtle]

If you want to be respected on the roads, then you yourself have to ride
respectably.  Running a red light is illegal and obnoxious, so why
shouldn't you get a ticket for it?   And the cops certainly do give
tickets to car drivers all the time for running red lights. (Cambridge
is even pushing the state to allow them to use cameras to identify all
the cars running red lights, like they do in England - whether or not
you like the idea, is still shows that they take it seriously.)

As a bicyclist, you can't have it both ways. Either you are considered a
legal vehicle operator, or you aren't!  If you are, you have the same
right to use the roads as other vehicle operators, but with those
rights come responsibility to drive your vehicle within the same
regulations as everyone else.  If you don't believe that you should be
considered a legal vehicle operator, and instead some sort of "toy"
owner, then you may drive how ever you want, but you won't have any
legal protection when you get hit or hit someone else.  

The law says you are a legal vehicle operator, with equal rights to the
road.  And I think that it's a good idea, so I choose to take my place
in traffic as an equal member, and I respect the traffic laws even when
I'm in a hurry, or think that I can "get away with it".  I do this
because I value my rights to use the road (especially when some folks
don't want me there at all!).

-Turtle
Who's Streets?  Everyone's streets!

HANDY TIP: if you want to use a pedestrian signal to cross a street with
a bike, you need to dismount and WALK your bike across.  This is legal,
and socially acceptable, and it shows how incredibly adaptable bicycles
are, compared to motor vehicles!